Chapter 83. Incorrect answers outperform correct answers (2)
“I dare to believe that the most urgent thing is to build a new bridge across the Mazena River that runs across the entire capital.”
It was a vast audience room.
It was a spacious space like the king’s personality, but rather than splendid.
Lloyd’s voice resonated resoundingly throughout the room.
The eyebrows of King Alicia Terrmina Magentano twitched.
“A leg?”
“It is.”
“Tell me in more detail.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I have dared to hear that the current bridge over the Mazena River collapses from time to time if you forget it.”
“…frequently?”
“It is.”
“Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?”
“It is believed that collapsing once every few decades means that it collapses very often and frequently in terms of civil engineering.”
“…really?”
“It is.”
Lloyd, who covered his entire face with an iron plate, replied.
It was honestly true.
collapse every few decades.
That was the equivalent of ‘very often’ from a civil engineering point of view.
In fact, the bridge of the Mazena River that crosses Magenta, the royal road here, was just like that.
‘The issue was mentioned several times in the novel Iron Blooded Knight. Even three years from now, it actually collapsed in a matter of decades.’
The location of the royal capital, mentioned in the novel, came to mind.
The Mazena River, which crosses the royal road, did not dry up all year round. Thanks to such an abundant water source, the city has been able to prosper for many years.
However, abundant water sources also became a double-edged sword.
‘Every spring there is a flood. Due to the rainy season in the eastern spring, the water quantity increases rapidly. In addition, the melting of the snow accumulated over the winter in the nearby alpine region further fuels the increase in precipitation.’
Such springtime floods were a plague of royal magenta.
Especially for the bridge over the Majena River, it was like a disaster.
at least once every 10 years. Once every 5 or 60 years, the bridge collapsed in a flood. Every time that happened, the royal family had to build a new bridge at a huge cost.
‘Maybe there was a similar leg on Earth as well.’
Heidelberg, Germany.
It reminded me of the ‘Karl Theodore Bridge’ on the Neckar River there.
‘In the middle of the 11th century, the first version of the original Charles Theodore Bridge was built. It was destroyed by the flood of 1288. Was it similar after that?’
Perhaps it was.
The second two bridges built in 1308.
3rd and 4th in 1340 and 1400 respectively.
Even the five bridges collapsed in 1470.
After that, it happened again and again.
‘The six bridges are because of drift ice that flowed along with the flood in 1565. The 7th was killed by the army of Louis XIV during the War of the Palatinate Succession. After that, the 8th bridge, which was built stronger and stronger as it was fortified, collapsed in 1784 due to floods and drift ice.’
So, I came up with the story that the modern Karl Theodore Bridge became the ‘ninth generation’.
However, the situation of Royal Capital Magenta in the novel here was very similar to Heidelberg in Germany in the Middle Ages.
“I heard that the bridge over the Mazena River was built for the 12th time after it collapsed 11 times. Therefore, it is considered that the reality of rebuilding a bridge that collapses every time is truly inefficient.”
“The situation of rebuilding what has been destroyed is inefficient?”
“It is, Your Highness.”
“So you have to build a new bridge?”
“It is, Your Highness.”
“If so, are you confident that the new bridge you propose will not collapse even in spring floods and drift ice?”
“As expected, Your Highness.”
You have to be confident in these betting moments.
With that in mind, Lloyd replied confidently.
King Alicia’s eyes sharpened.
“What if it collapses?”
“If-”
Lloyd bowed his head even deeper.
‘I’m going to pack my things and run abroad.’
Swallowing such determination (?) into his heart, he said it.
“Beat my throat.”
“Are you serious?”
“The truth comes. Instead-”
“Instead?”
“Until the new bridge that I dared to mention collapses, please guarantee the position of my family forever.”
“It is a guarantee of position. Until the new bridge collapses?”
“It is, Your Highness.”
“….”
Lloyd lowered his head as if he were about to touch the floor.
Seeing Lloyd’s chestnut-like back of the head, King Alicia’s eyes hardened.
‘Look at this guy.’
The eldest son of an eastern corner baron.
On such a subject, he dares to propose negotiations to himself.
They are demanding that the baron’s status as a nobleman be guaranteed forever.
guarantee of position.
The meaning was clear.
No matter what happens, do not confiscate the fief territory.
And a stable amount of money to keep the minimum dignity as a nobleman should be paid as a lifetime pension.
Those two must be the real meaning behind that request.
‘Besides, even if I’m just watching, you’re talking about building a new bridge as if it’s already been nailed down, right?’
A smile came out of nowhere.
It was a shameful and smirking way of speaking.
He was playing an obvious trick.
However, it was insignificant and I felt cute.
It was strange to see him act shamelessly like that even in front of himself.
It was like a dog whining at a lion asking for a snack.
Besides, what if there was a bridge that would not collapse in a flood?
Even as a royal family, it would never have been a loss.
King Alicia’s voice softened slightly.
“If you do, is there a trick to make the bridge that won’t collapse that you claim?”
“Of course it comes.”
comes over
came over
Lloyd read the mood through the king’s softened voice.
Fortunately, the victory worked.
‘it’s okay.’
The character of King Alicia, whom I remember from the novel Iron Blooded Knight, came to mind.
Alicia Termina Magentano, the indomitable lord.
She was grandiose and unstoppable, befitting a person who possesses both absolute power and absolute force. In addition, he was fair and listened to the advice of the other person regardless of his or her status.
That’s why I hate those who are servile to the extreme.
Just like what he was doing now, he liked people who were hard-nosed regardless of their position, and had no hesitation in keeping them close.
So he loses one arm.
Get poisoned by the person you trusted the most.
He gave up his arm and saved his life.
The shock of that betrayal completely changes his personality.
He transforms into a cruel tyrant that no one trusts.
Fall from indomitable lord to slaughter lord.
‘But that unfortunate incident hasn’t happened yet.’
Based on the novel, that will happen three years from now.
King Alicia at this time was still shining like a bright and fair red lion.
That’s why I thought such a bold proposal would work.
In fact, the frequent collapse of the bridge over the Mazena River has always been a headache for the royal family, so he calculated that this proposal would have a good chance.
And that calculation is working.
Lloyd’s answer carried a confident force.
“If you build a suspension bridge over the Mazena River, it will never collapse in any flood.”
“A suspension bridge?”
“Yes, it is.”
The king tilted his head.
Lloyd said more confidently to her.
“The suspension bridge is a bridge construction method suitable for long-span bridges. In general, high pylons are built on both sides and supported with long rope-type cables between the pylons…blah blah…By fixing the cable in anchor blocks at both ends of the bridge…I’m blown away…First of all, the advantage of a suspension bridge is that there is no need to build a pier in the river…Blah blah…Therefore, I dare to say….”
“stop. Just that far.”
“….”
“Did you say everything you wanted to say?”
“Unfortunately, His Highness ordered us to stop….”
“I had to stop. I understand the meaning well enough.”
King Alicia subconsciously expressed disgust. I wiped the sweat from my forehead with a handkerchief.
Somehow, I felt as if all of Lloyd’s explanation I had just heard entered through my left ear hole and slipped out through my right ear hole.
Lloyd’s question became subtle.
“Hao, what about His Highness’s intentions….”
“I mean it.”
The king laughed.
“I told you that I will definitely test your ability. Since you answered the question and expressed enough confidence, what more is there to hesitate? enforce it.”
“Are you saying to start building a new bridge?”
“It is true. Build it yourself and prove it. If you succeed, I will give you a great reward in addition to the achievements you made earlier in Cremo. Only-”
King Alicia’s eyes, which had been laughing, became stern.
“The price of failure in construction will be even greater as the amount of confidence so expressed.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Lloyd bowed his head to show his respect.
The dice have already been cast.
It is a yard riding on the back of a tiger.
Now was the time to show off your skills.
♣
“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone so self-indulgent and arrogant in front of me.”
The audience room where Lloyd and Xaviel retreated.
King Alicia, who remained there, smiled bitterly.
Soon, as if responding to her bitter smile, a middle-aged man’s voice was heard.
“You appear to be clever and well-calculated, Your Highness.”
Until now, he was the commander of the Royal Guard, who had been silently behind the king.
“Lord Cherny, did you see that too?”
“It is, Your Highness.”
“Ha yes. You are much more clever than you think.”
The bitter smile on King Alicia’s lips grew thicker.
Suddenly, I remembered the report I had received from Count Cremo.
The report made this assessment of Lloyd Frontera.
‘A clever talent who will surprise everyone by using his abilities to the fullest in a situation where there is a clear benefit to be given to him.’
…It was an evaluation.
“Actually, that seems to be the case. But I didn’t expect you to come up with such a wrong answer.”
“The answer is wrong…?”
“The answer that Lloyd Frontera brought up about Jim’s departure.”
“You mean the answer to the urgent need to build a new bridge over the Mazena River?”
“okay.”
“If you say that is the wrong answer….”
“There was a different answer I had in mind.”
King Alicia said as if cutting with a knife.
Actually, there was a different answer that I had in mind from the time I asked Lloyd the question.
The answer she thought was not to build a bridge.
It wasn’t even the flooding of the Magena River or anything related to the river.
“Actually, the correct answer Jim was thinking was the royal palace’s remuneration.”
“ah…!”
At Alicia’s words, Sir Cherniy held back his exclamation.
“You are definitely saying something. It is also the time when the royal castle repair period, which is regularly held every 10 years, is approaching….”
“okay. that’s right. It was built too thick and strong to prepare for the dragon’s attack. So heavy. Needs frequent maintenance So I thought of it as the correct answer. I thought that someone with a background in construction would naturally say the correct answer Jim thought of.”
But it wasn’t.
Lloyd came up with an answer completely different from what she had in mind.
It was an unspeakably wrong answer.
But it wasn’t a simple mistake.
‘In fact, the bridge construction on the Mazena River was necessary before. But there was no sharp way.’
Actually it was.
The previous kings had the same concerns.
Floods that occur regularly during the snowmelt season in spring. The only way to deal with such ferocious natural disasters was to build stronger bridges.
Every time a bridge collapsed, a new one was built that was stronger than before.
However, it did not last for several decades and collapsed again.
The reason was simple.
It was because of an engineering dilemma.
‘Did the builders say? In order to build a strong bridge, the piers supporting the bridge must be made larger and stronger. However, as the piers become stronger, they become thicker and receive more water pressure from the river.’
She was pretty much ignorant of construction.
However, I could understand to a certain extent only what the construction engineers were saying.
It was a simple principle.
A pier is a pillar that stands in the water and supports a bridge. The flowing river always receives the force that pushes it to the side.
But what if the piers get thicker?
What if the area is that wide?
The area that receives the pressure of the river and hydraulic pressure also increases.
In order to overcome that, the builders tried to make the upstream side of the pier into a wedge shape. A separate wooden structure was installed on the upstream side of the pier to prevent drift ice.
But they were only stopgap.
At least once every few decades, there has been a flood that would be too much to deal with.
Every time that happened, the bridge collapsed without fail.
So, in my heart, I was just giving up.
Just do your best to build strong. If it collapses, it can’t be helped and builds again. It is regarded as a regular tax in front of the forces of nature.
That was the policy for the Magentano River Bridge today.
So King Alicia didn’t even expect that there would be a novel solution to the issue. no i couldn’t imagine
‘But he brought it up as an answer to my question, Lloyd Frontera.’
The answer you had in mind.
It was a much better wrong answer than that right answer.
‘Let’s watch for now.’
King Alicia thought to herself.
The bridge suspension bridge that Lloyd boasted about.
Let’s watch them build that new bridge. Let’s observe Lloyd Frontera’s ability. So, if his ability is proven, we will definitely use him.
As such, Lloyd’s preparations for the bridge construction proceeded smoothly while receiving the King’s anticipation.
